How often do you BG test your cat on a daily basis?

The titles pretty much sums it up as i couldn't seem to find a thread or info on this...im so lost on how often i should be testing her BG levels on a daily basis and i'm guessing its to my own divide?

I did post my sheet on my account but i don't think it will help paint a picture of what going on when I'm reaching out for help( refer to my ''remarks'' to understand)... sorry

Do you change you lancet everytime you poke the ear or just use one lancet a day?

Do i need to do AMPS and PMPS every day?

When do you prefer the best time after her shot to take the BG test? ie: 3 hour's after shot?

Any help/advice/opinions would be wonderful since my cat who is under wight is still losing weight and the rear hips are getting realllly thin and its kinda scaring me

Thank you and have a great day!

 

Hi

Testing before shooting AM and PM always is absolutly necesary since you need to know his blood glucose levels before giving insulin to make sure is safe to shoot him

Other than AMPS and PMPS how much you test will depend on the protocol you are following some protocols require more testing than others, usually having a test +2 hours after giving insulin or mid cicle can give you very useful information on how he's reacting, and if you detect he's going down fast ( it happens sometimes ) you may need to test more.

Each time you use a lancet it's sharp point gets dull so reusing it will hurt your cat more, I would strongly suggest you use a new lancet each time you poke

The loosing of weight is unfortunatedly part of the diabetes, but once his blood glucose levels get lower he will regain some weight, for now unless he's overweight just let him eat as much as he wants.

 

My vet currently has me only on 1unit 2X a day so risk of OD is really low. ( vets words not mine )

but i'm suspecting she's probably being underdosed as I'm seeing reallly scary high numbers that she never has hit before and so i defs want find out for sure...since i cant afford to do the frucosamine test quite yet (vet charges like $112 for the test)

all my vet ever told me on day 1 was NOT to do any BG tests till I'm confident with the injections and if i was determined to do it anyways to just to the test 3-4 hours after her shot for the approx "peak low" so idk what protocol i am to follow
sadly fidget has always been a very underweight kitty and so her losing more weight is daunting... she's currently eating 3 full cans of FF pates with some freeze dried treats in between aswell to prevent drops.

 

Well going hypo ( his blood glucose going too low because of insulin) depends more on the cat's body than on the dose, and with out testing no one can really say if 1 unit is too much or too low for him, close to remission Babu was getting litteraly 1 drop of insulin since anything more would lower his blood glucose too much so testing is really important to keep him safe

Since you already know he's diabetic and you will be testing at home every day you don't need the fructosamine test any more, that can be useful for diagnose but every day testing is far more useful and more accurate

To be honest and talking from experience since I did had some very scary low glucose episodes when I started giving Babu insulin and getting a cat almost if not in hypo, I would say is exactly the oposite you need to test before you start shooting having him in high numbers (at least for a small amout of time) is far less dangerous than hypo

Since she is not overweight let her eat as much as she wants

 

oh you are awsome thank you so much!!!!
for some reason i though i HAD to do the frutosamine test's every once in a blue moon inorder to see if she needed ''adjustments'' to her dose and the vet said i didn't need bring her in to do the ''spot checks'' (they charge $25) if i can learn to do them myself.

so my homework here is ill start being on top on my GLU tests ''before the shot'' and then ill do another test approx 2-3 hours after her shot and ill update it in real-time onto the datasheet since i keep the tab open

so if I'm understanding correctly its better/safer for her to be a HIGH GLU (ie:20.0 mmol) over having too LOW GLU? (ie: 2.0mmol )

also how and where do i find info on if i ever need to adjust her dose? so that i dont overdose or underdose if and when she needs an adjustment

 

I test my kitty at least three times a day. AMPS, middle of day, and PMPS. Sometimes more if I'm home and have the time! The more you test, the more data you can add to your spreadsheet which just helps you learn more about how the diabetes and insulin affects your kitty.

The loss of weight in the rear hips could possibly be neuropathy. My boy Charlie had it when his numbers were much worse than they are now. He lost almost all the muscle mass in his back legs. He stopped jumping up on the couch and bed, and even stopped going up the stairs. Getting his BG under control and giving him vitamin b supplements helped tremendously. He is back to his regular old self. He has rebuilt muscle, and plays and jumps like he used to.

 

yes this i starting to sound alot like it!!! my poor kitty is twitching and jerking all the time and i honestly thought it would stop after the injections....some days is worse then others....what vit B do you recommed? do i just ask the vet for some? so i get some gelcaps at walmart and add to food? i really hate seeing her like this and yes i will be keeping my data sheet tab open so i can add to it in realtime

 

You could ask the vet but that will probably be pricey. You need to get some methylcobalamine (methyl-B12). I am going to tag @Diane Tyler's Mom because they were the ones to tell me about the vitamin b and they are probably more knowledgeable than I am! You can buy capsules online and then just open them up and mix the powder with food or a treat.

 

awesome thank you!!!!

i do know i can get some ''methylcobalamine (methyl-B12)'' capsules from local supplement stores but i will wait on standby to see if i can get more info on this.

 

Yes, I mean you want him on normal range but going hypoglicemic (hypo) is really dangerous I think you should take a look at this post https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Fructosamine is very helpful for diagnose but for treatment you need to do the tests at home and as we mentioned those have to be done dayly not just some spot checks at the vet specially before giving insulin, so yes no need for a fructosamine now and you can certainly test yoursef at home

Since you are in prozinc I do recomend you take a look at the prozinc forum here https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/prozinc-pzi.24/

Here's a link to some basic information on Prozinc from that forum
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-the-prozinc-basics-please-start-here.164995/

And regarding the dose here's the link to the prozinc dosing methods
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/prozinc-dosing-methods.225629/

The problem with his back legs could be from a neurophaty that some diabetic cats develop, once he's regulated that will improve and there's a suplement you can give to help is called zovaline, because of the price some people give human B12 but it has to be methylcolvalamine

Hope this helps and just keep asking anything you need

 

perfect the links you sent will be a massive help thank you!

i have reached out to my vet to see if they can get some Zobaline but it may take some time.
in the meantime i was looking up some places in my city i can get HUMAN B-12 i did see it had to be particuarly the 5000mcg? not the 100mcg/200mcg/ect?

would any of these be okay to try?

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/equate...KBw2a1NsJUao8yIOAcBoCRvYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.instacart.ca/products/1...RboEohsflqkmXmXlpImwOZSfG2_Vk_lBoC1JoQAvD_BwE

https://www.amazon.ca/Jamieson-B12-...4&psc=1&mcid=1d9abbf1679638af8412eb3a126ce0e9

im pretty strapped for cash so i dont wanna buy the wrong one lol if none of thse are okay ill just try to wait it out for the vet to get the zobaline

 

I would avoid the sublingual ones since I'm not really sure you could give them to a cat, I've found that giving capsules is easier but maybe you could crush the tablets i'm not sure, the ones I give Babu even though not for neuropahty so you may need to give a higher dose, are this ones

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-500-mcg-300-capsules

 

yeah! i saw those one as well. but since my kitty does have nuropathy issues on a medium level im willing to just play it safe and order the injection b-12 stuff from the vet they told me i could try since they have it in stock. and okay no worries! I only saw tablet form of the b-12 in my area not in capsule form.

 

I see you live in BC Canada,I would have told you to get this Methyl B-12 if you lived in the US
You can order this Methyl B-12 they ship to Canada , I have used it for years and a lot of other members use this Methyl B-12 , just open up the capsule mix it in with the wet food add some water, it's tasteless.

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6
14.49 for 100 capsules
Give one a day

I saw that a member who lives in Ontario posted this
, no issues with customs, no duty to pay.


Once you start to get Month's BG regulated and starting the Methyl B-12 you should start seeing an improvement
Tyler had neuropathy and he's back to walking and jumping
Took about less than 2 months, but every couple of weeks I saw improvement
I'm pretty sure
Vitacost charges $9.99 US to ship to Canada.


I did see another member posted
Jamieson brand of B12/methyl does not contain sugars. I buy it from Shoppers!
https://www.jamiesonvitamins.com/pr...obalamin-timed-release?variant=43218098946240


I am no expert but looking at your SS it looks like you are holding the dose too long, although probably can't tell because you aren't testing enough , I am going to tag a Prozinc user and have her take a look at your SS
@Suzanne & Darcy


Prevent post which is the intro post
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...t-is-now-hates-the-shots-what-do-i-do.291079/

 

@Wendy&Neko is in BC. She may know where it's best to source methyl-B12.

As for testing, the minimum number of tests we suggest is 4 -- you're AMPS and PMPS and at least one additional test during both the AM and PM cycles. The pre-shot test lets you know if it's safe to give insulin. Ideally, you will have an idea when nadir is (i.e., lowest point in the cycle) and get your additional test close to that time. You adjust your dose based on how low that dose is taking your cat's blood glucose levels.

Not to contradict your vet but he doesn't know what he's talking about. My cat was never on a huge dose of insulin. She could be on 0.5u and still drop into the 40s. This is the reason that you need to home test. You will have much greater control over what's going on with your cat and adjust the dose or intervene if you see that numbers are dropping into lower ranges.

You don't want to re-use either lancets or needles. The metal begins to degrade very quickly.

Have you talked to your vet about your cat's twitching?

@Bandit's Mom - Bhooma, can you help with getting this member's spreadsheet re-named?

 

Im not to worried about duty or customs just more the exchange rate's....(canada's dollar is pretty bad right now) so if i bought that ''vitacost one'' it would cost me about $30+ after all is said and done.

funny enough i saw the EXACT JAMIESON b-12 at my walmart and they even had a 5000mcg one (same bottle not sublingual and no sugar or other stuff but i just wasn't sure if that was the correct one lol


and sorry for asking...what does it mean to be '' holding the dose too long'' ive never heard that term.... and yes i will be doing ''pre test's'' before her shot as i got the green light to bump her up to 2U 2X a day i sent the SS to my vet so they can also see me update in real time

 

It just means staying on the same dose for a long period of time and still seeing high BG numbers
Have you gone over the SLGS method
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/prozinc-dosing-methods.225629/

That is why I tagged
@Suzanne & Darcy since she is familiar with Prozinc and see she has helped you in your intro post to take a look at your SS.

@Fidget and family :) said vet gave the
green light to bump her up to 2U 2X a day i sent the SS to my vet so they can also see me update in real time

What do you think
@Suzanne & Darcy

 

okay sweet! ill keep it to a minimum of 4 tests a day
i just wasn't sure since also the darn test strips are ain't cheap! (pay $50 for 50 strips and human GL meters where not much more diff in price) lol... but also i wanna have a good idea where she's at with her levels after all her health comes first.

as for my vet. i do feel there are times they are just getting so overwelmed by all other clients and staffing issues that they are just not able to help out the way i see they do with others...so there might come a time ill transfer elsewhere if they cant fix the issues in that place. awesome staff though. as for her dose's i'm just not sure what to be looking for and im sure the lack of testing doesnt help....like my head would think '' she gets shot...inulin brings GLU to normal range....and as long as diet is good all is good'' now i can say thats not the case lol..

and okay good! i havent been reusing any ''sharps'' as i didnt wanna risk and infections or abcess or something bad.

and yes i have brought it up with my vet a few times...they had thought it was a ''nerve'' response from her tooth resorption. however over time it was getting worse and i was just not convinced that was it.
one day i came across an article that might have pointed to diabetic nuropathy...but didnt bring it up to my vet at that time...then that when the lovey member mentioned it in the thread and kinda ''jolted'' me to call my vet and ask them if this ''was it.'' they said i can try the injection form of b-12 and that its ''cheap'' they also said they have had diabetic cats use it before with success they didnt really provide me a alternative...

 

The B12 from your vet is more likely to be cyanocobalamin and not methyl B12. So not the right type of B12. You also don't need the vet to order Zobaline - you can do it yourself but it's pretty pricy. I think more than the Vitacost one. I don't know what the best source of methyl B12 is in BC. Neko didn't have neuropathy. I do remember looking years ago and finding a product from New Roots and was powder in capsules.

You don't need a pet meter for testing, any human blood glucose meter with a small blood drop requirement will do. The Freestyle Lite is one popular one with cheaper test strips. Occasionally you can get a free meter with purchase of 100 strips. I got my Freestyle from London Drugs. You can also look on eBay for good prices on test strips.

 

i did see that zobaline is on amazon for like $33? i can probably get that one... if not that JAMEISON meythl b12 5000mcg at my walmart for like $10 and appears to have nothing toxic added.

i opted FOR THE "PET CONTROL HQ'' simply because from what i can find on it was that it was a newer meter that is an aussy/canada ripoff of the ''alphatrak'' that wasnt made in china for once so i felt i could rely on it dispite it being new with little review but if i see a decent human one when i can afford it ill pick one up

 

ahhhhhhh see! the things i learn that i didn't before.... yes i sorta glanced over the link but still need to sit down and read it properly...i should hopefully have time sometime today.

i did call the vet this morning with my 8.9 reading and they told me to bump down to 1U since her preshot was low and @Suzanne & Darcy felt that should be alright as long as i keep and eye on her and test often/snacks to see the number fly.

however i was just learning today that pretests are 2 hours prior to a feeding and this morning's test was like 5mins after she ate....soooo yeahhh -_- still learning as i go and ALOT to learn at that..haha

 

No!! The pretest with Prozinc is right before you plan to give a shot. You want to remove food 2 hours before shot time. You don't want your pre-shot number to be influenced by food.

 

copy that!

i will keep note of that going forward to get accurate numbers

 

The thing to watch with Zobaline is the shipping price to Canada. That bumps the price up considerably. If you do get other Methyl B12 products, try to match the amount of B12 in the Zobaline. Did you find a product that is powder? Not sure the tablets would be easy to give. If you could find capsules, that would be ideal.

 

ohhh okay ill take a look another look around the dedicated health stores and see that they got and maybe they will have capsules if thats more ideal. i was just gunna plan to crush the tablet into a powder and mix it in her food...

 

https://www.vitacost.com/international-faqs-canada
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I'm talking about the vitacost brand just add
water, it's tasteless. Open up the capsule and add it to the wet food and mix it up

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6
14.49 for 100 capsules
Give one a day
@Fidget and family :)
If you can't find any other one

 

No no understand…
I just wanna get them faster than the shipping time offered. My local supplement store has a few options for b12 caplets.
https://vitasave.ca/products/sisu-v...otoS7dOEi6XSJPe7D47XHjbCaDmpZxIxoCN24QAvD_BwE

This is an example of the brand they sold but it was like the exact same price as the vitacost….perhaps vitasave is the Canadian brand?

 

That is not methycobaline
You need Vita B-12 methycobaline
The one you posted is
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). Totally different
Medicinal Ingredients
Servings Size: 1 veg caps
Servings Per Container: 60
Amount per Serving
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 1,000 mcg

 

cheese and rice....too many b-12's out there......

okay so just to make sure....

1.) it MUST SAY ''B-12 methycobaline'' NOT ''cyanocobalamin''
2.) it MUST NOT contain any sweetners,alcohol,or flavours
3.) it MUST BE powdered form/capsule that can be added to food with ease (not subligual,tablet,liquid)

if thats my checklist then ill take one last look and yes...if all else fails and i doubt the product i see ill place an order for the vita cost tomorrow if i find time

 

The info you posted above is correct. ONLY methycobalamine (methyl-B12).

 

1 yes it must say methcobaline only
2 No sweetners,alcohol,or flavours
3 it can be either capsules or tablets, the tablets you can crush up, Look for either 3000 MCG ( 3 MB)or 5000 MCG (5 MG)
@Fidget and family :)

Vitacost brand
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Servings per Container: 100

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Vitamin B12
(as methylcobalamin) 5000 mcg 208,333%

Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, gelatin, vegetable stearic acid, vegetable magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide.

The 5000 mcg is fine what ever they don't need they pee out since it's water soluble

 

awsome sounds good!